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Staten Island honors for an unsung hero who guides troubled young lives to success

Robin Sklarin

Robin Sklarin, director of the Staten Island Mental Health Society's Safe Transition for Youth.net program, will be among the honorees recognized during The 2013 Staten Island NFP Association Community Service Awards program on Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. in the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

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WEST BRIGHTON — Robin Sklarin is all about children. But not necessarily the easy-to-handle ones. Rather, she's about the rough-and-tumble ones; the ones who are different and who have been kicked around a bit, maybe, because of it, or the kicking around made them different. Either way, she molds them into their full potential so in the end, they, too, can live a life of promise.

This third annual event is designed to provide not-for-profit organizations on Staten Island with an easy way to thank the "unsung hero" supporters of their organizations in an informal yet meaningful recognition ceremony.

The seven-year program takes young adults ages 16 to 23 who have had proven emotional disturbances or intellectual challenges and provides them the means to succeed: Transitional services in areas of education, employment, housing and community-living skills.

"I am able to use money and resources to change the lives of children who really have not had the all the advantages and children who are emotionally challenged and am able to change their lives and provide more positive outcomes," she said.

Those positive outcomes, she said, have allowed the program's funding to be increased by 35 percent.

She said 200 young adults have been successfully helped through the program. Prior to joining SIMHS, Mrs. Sklarin worked for the city Department of Education, holding the position of job developer and work/study coordinator for the South Richmond High School.

Mrs. Skarlin has a bachelor's degree in special education from the City College of New York; a master's degree in special education and vocational education from Columbia University, and a second master's, from the College of Staten Island, in administration and supervision. She lives in Marlboro, N.J., with her husband of 42 years, Herman. She has two children and one granddaughter.